PIERCE COUNTY — This month, Pierce County locals are applauding a DNR decision to require Ridge Breeze Dairy to produce signed waste spreading agreements with local landowners to back their plan to nearly quadruple the size of the industrial livestock operation in the town of Salem.

The decision came after hundreds of locals turned out to oppose the proposed expansion at a DNR public hearing in July. With 6,500 animals producing 80.7 million gallons of liquid waste each year, residents are deeply concerned about impacts on their homes and families. More than 300 people registered for the virtual hearing, and over 140 met in-person at the Elmwood Village Office to listen in and testify with GrassRoots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW).
Among residents’ concerns was the false listing of multiple local landowners’ acreage for spreading Ridge Breeze’s waste. Many of these landowners had no agreement in place with Ridge Breeze for spreading. Some told GROWW organizers they had never even heard of Ridge Breeze or Breeze Dairy Group.

On Aug. 2, the DNR sent Ridge Breeze an email notice, stating “the department is requesting that Ridge Breeze Dairy LLC submit written verification that the dairy operation has permission to land-apply manure and process wastewater to all fields that are not under common ownership of Ridge Breeze Dairy LLC. These include any fields that are either rented by Ridge Breeze Dairy LLC, or fields that have manure application agreements with cooperating growers or non-permitted farms. The written agreements must be with the landowner and list fields included in the agreement.” It continued, “Once the written agreements/rental contracts are submitted, the Department will determine whether additional review of the nutrient management plan is necessary.”

“This DNR decision is a win and a step toward common sense. It shows they’re listening to the community,” Danny Akenson, a Field Organizer with GROWW who’s worked with residents and neighbors around Ridge Breeze in opposition to the expansion for over a year. “People may not realize, the DNR doesn’t outright deny permits even if they have concerns. They put these more strict requirements on them to see if the applicant is able to fulfill them. We know that Breeze Dairy Group can’t be trusted and we’ve proven that to the DNR. We hope to see further restrictions put on them, such as groundwater monitoring and a cap on animal units. Nobody deserves to live across the street from 6,500 cows.”

Ridge Breeze has said they plan to get in touch with farmers and landowners to make agreements they can submit in September. However, in Burnett County a similar proposal for a hog operation was unable to meet the requirement and ultimately had their permit application expire.

For their part, local grassroots leaders with GROWW are proactively exploring other tools to protect communities from continued expansions and the worst of their risks. 

“In Wisconsin, no matter where we live or how much money we have, we deserve better,” says Akenson. “Corporate agribusinesses like Ridge Breeze shut down small farms, pollute our water, and tear up our roads, leaving us with the bill. We know that by coming together, as hundreds of us did at the DNR hearing, we can put guardrails on agribusiness expansion, laying the groundwork for our family farms, communities and environment to thrive. Together, we can write a future that works for us.” 

Submitted by GROWW